Protection
by Fallen-Autumn-Leaves
Summary: A girl turns up in the woods, hurt and alone. Paul automatically knows she is his imprint. But where did she get hurt and why? PaulxHarmony(OC) rated T because I'm paranoid (Edited 1/30/15)


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LA PUSH GANG OR TWILIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THOUGH THAT I DO OWN HARMONY.

**1/30/2015 Edit: This has been redone and errors have been plot is the same, only some minor grammar and punctuation. Thanks to cucumbersaregreen for beta-ing for me! :) **

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><p>I was running in the woods, completely startled when I stumbled across a girl. A girl so beautiful she put the moon to shame. My heart stopped and seemed to began to beat just for her. Shivering in the cold, the girl with matted hair huddled closer to the base of a tree. She wore nothing but an old blanket safety-pinned into a makeshift dress. I stepped out of the trees, completely forgetting to shift. Surprisingly, she did not scream. I nudged my way behind her, forming a pillow of sorts, and wrapped around her. Soon she stopped shivering. Looking down at her I took in her appearance. She had lovely green eyes, brown hair to the middle of her back, and tons of crescent shaped scars. One of them was still open and bleeding. When I saw this, I knew I had to do whatever it took to keep her safe. She began to whimper. I shimmied out from behind her and shifted hidden by a bush. After, I knelt beside her.<p>

"Hello, what's your name?" I asked, soothingly.

"Harmony." Her voice was enchanting.

"Where did you get these?" I tapped a scar.

"My master." Master?

"What happened? Why are you here?"

"Master wanted me to be like him. I didn't want to so I ran, but he bit me first."

"Like him?" Only then did I smell the faint whiff of vampire.

It seemed Harmony was preoccupied, she whispered, "It burns." Lifting her in my arms, I ran as fast as I could to the Cullen's. Edward and the doctor met me at the edge of the woods. Harmony began to struggle when she saw the vegetarian vampires.

"Don't worry," I murmured. "They're going to help. See their eyes, they don't drink human blood." She looked up at me, trust in her eyes even though I know she knew I shapeshift. We entered the huge house and I sat her on the couch.

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. We will be able to extract the venom since it has not yet reached your heart. I will have to suck it out. Don't worry, I will stop once your blood is clean." Harmony nodded and stretched out her hand. After a minute or two, Carlisle detached and left the room. He soon returned with bandages, which he methodically wrapped around her hand. Jasper appeared next to her. She did not seem surprised by his sudden appearance, only shifting her eyes to the floor near his boots. This whole time she had not looked the doctor, or even Edward, in the face.

"My name is Jasper. These scars, were they made by a vampire?"

"Yes, my master."

"Who is your master, pray tell?"

"I only heard his name once." She seemed fearful.

"Perhaps I know him."

"I wouldn't know."

"What's his name?"

"Daemon," she whispered it, the name held fear.

"How long have you served him?"

"Three years. I was thirteen when he took me."

"Took you?" his voice was low and I assumed he was keeping her calm.

"From the orphanage. My parents died when I was three. He took me when I was asleep. He kept me, the first year, chained to a wall. The second, I had my ankle bound to a chain that just reached the door. I could see freedom, but I could not reach it. This last year, he would let me roam free. But he would always chain me up before he left to hunt." She rubbed one of her scars, "He could not feed from me all the time, so he would hunt in the north."

"How did you escape?" Jasper questioned when she fell silent.

"He did not chain me. He bit me, hoping to change me and didn't bother to."

I heard her belly rumble. "Come on, let's get you to Emily's." We thanked them and I carried her into the woods and towards La Push. On the way, I told her who and what I was. She drifted off to sleep when we hit the border. Arriving at Sam and Emily's house, the peace was shattered by Seth bounding out the back, nearly screaming my name before I shushed him. I pushed my way into the living room, my ears being assaulted by a million questions from the pack and Emily. After sitting her on the couch with me beside her I told them her story.

"Poor thing," Emily exclaimed, forgetting to keep her voice down.

$:$:$**Harmony**$:$:$:$

I awoke to a group of people looking at me. Paul introduced them to me: Jacob, a tall boy with long dark hair; Sam, alpha and a serious looking man who said I could stay as long as I liked; Seth, a boy who looked as eager as a puppy; Colin and Brady, twins and the newest members of the pack; Quil, smiling and loud; Jared, not as serious as Sam but not as fun loving as Quil; Embry, quiet and nice; and Emily, Sam's fiancée, soft hearted and kind.

Emily pulled me upstairs and to the bathroom, telling me before she left, "I'll be waiting across the hall. I'm going to try to find something to fit you."

I showered and wrapped a towel around me. Makin my way across the hall, I found Emily going through her closet. "That's what I found so far. We'll go shopping tomorrow." She pointed to a pile on the bed. I pulled on the underclothes and sweat pants. "How about this?" she held up a gray t-shirt. "It's too small for me. Try it on." I pulled it on. It was a little big, but otherwise okay. We headed downstairs and into the kitchen where she proceeded to brush and trim my hair.

$:$:$:$**Paul**$:$:$:.$

As Harmony and Emily were upstairs, Sam pulled me aside. He asked how much she knew and I told him that she was aware of everything but imprinting.

"So you imprinted?" he asked. I nodded and he congratulated me. When I heard Harmony come back from upstairs, I followed and watched as Emily cut her hair. If I thought Harmony was gorgeous covered in dirt, she was breathtaking clean. I leaned against the counter, I was pretty sure I stared, but she stared right back. In her eyes I saw trust, happiness, and-_could it be?-_adoration. Lunch was ready by the time they finished. Emily ladled out creamy potato soup, bits of ham floating on top. I sat on one side of Harmony, Emily on the other. Watching protectively as she ate and she began to yawn towards the end. When the meal was over, Emily told me to take Harmony to the spare room. She curled up on the bed-so thin and small. I sat on the floor beside her, just before she fell asleep, she whispered, "Thank you."

$:$:$:$**Harmony**$:$:$:

I awoke the next morning embraced by a pair of warm arms. Instinctively, I knew it was Paul. Looking up, I saw he was awake.

"Harmony, I should tell you something. There is this thing, called imprinting, it's like love at first sight but stronger."

"Like soulmates?" I asked.

He chuckled, "Yeah. The person becomes your whole world, you'd do anything and be anything for them... I'd do anything for you. I love you, Harmony. Will you go out with me? You don't have to feel obliged to..."

$:$:$;$**Paul**$;$;$:$

I think I kind of rambled when I asked her out. I watched as the admiration in her eyes changed into love. I trailed of as she smiled her first real smile.

$:$;$:$**Harmony**$;$:$;$:$

I smiled and said,"I love you too Paul, and I'd love to." He smiled and pressed his lips to mine, I kissed back. When we parted, we were both beaming, I giggled. Emily called up the stairs that breakfast was ready. We walked down hand in hand.

Suddenly, I knew my life would be better. A family of sorts, love, protection. And even if my former master came, my imprint wouldn't let him get me.


End file.
